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Discover Latvia
Zemgale, the smallest region, occupies central Latvia, and is well known for its many historic monuments, palaces, manors, and castles. The region is also birthplace of a number of Latvian presidents, Janis Cakste, Gustavs Zemgals, Alberts Kviesis and Karlis Ulmanis The many distinctive castles and manor houses nestled in forests or exposed on hills offer the visitor a tangible sens eof history. In Bauska its possible to literally travel along a path of history, from the 9th century through the Medieval to the Baroque period. Bauska lies in southeast Zemgale, where the Memele and Musa Rivers meet. On the hill between the two rivers stands the ruins of a Livonian Order Castle which hosts the Ancient Music Festival in the third week of July. Close to Bauska is Rundale Palace.
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Designed in the 18th century by the world-famous architect Rastrelli, who was also the architect of St. Petersburg's Hermitage, Rundale Palace is an outstanding blend of Baroque architecture and Rococo decorative art. Not far from Bauska are three other palaces built after 1795 - Mezotne, Kaucminde and Bornsminde. In the city of Jelgava, which lies at the edge of the Zemgale flatlands on both banks of the Lielupe River, is Jelgava Palace, the most spectacular Baroque palace in the Baltics. This Palace was built in 1738-1772 under the supervision of Rastrelli, in what at that time was the capital of the Courland Dukedom. Since 1939 the palace has been home to the Latvian Agriculture University. Nearby is the Academia Petrina, a rare example of late Baroque architecture of the 18th century, which today houses the Jelgava History and Art Museum. |
Many other castles and manor houses testify to the Golden Age of the Courland Dukedom. The many castle mounds offer splendid views of a gently undulating countryside. Tervete must also be explored, a scenic forest park imbued with legends. Tervete is known as a nature park with the oldest and tallest pine trees in Latvia. A museum commemorating the famous Latvian writer, Anna Brigadere (1861-1933), is also located at Tervete. Place names in the park have been inspired by literature: the Park of Sunny Moods, the Forest of Elves and the Fairy-tale Forest. Magically sculpted images of characters and contemporaries of the writer inhabit the park making this a wonderful place to visit and photograph.